Reason and Love are Sworn Enemies
by Odiana
Summary: Draco is haunted by the things in his past. Hermione finds that even after proving her worth she still isn't good enough.There is a solution but can Hermione turn her back on everything and everyone? Set about 7 years after the War. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is a Dramione fanfic but it does take a while for the romance to start so stick with it, I promise you it will come. I hope you like it and please please review. Reviews are very much appreciated.**

**I do not own Harry Potter. J.k owns ALL! **

Draco leaned back heavily into the red velvet couch and sighed. The girl on his left started kissing his jaw line and mumbling sweet nothings into his ear. Draco didn't give her any response but this didn't seem to annoy her. He closed his eyes but just as quickly opened them. He could still see her, he could not forget. He turned to the girl and whispered.

"Do you want to come back to my place?" The girl smiled triumphantly, before nodding coyly. She stood up and allowed Draco to put his arm around her and lead her out of the thunderous and stifling club. They exited onto a cold, drizzly London street. Draco escorted her down the street and waited until it was empty. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at her face. Her eyes widened in confusion but before she had time to shout he whispered

"Tempus somni" At once her eyes began to droop, her body crumpled and fell into Draco's waiting arms. He twisted into the darkness and appeared on a small country lane. A large manor loomed out of the darkness, as ostentatious and apposing as possible. Draco frowned when his gaze fell on it. To most people home was a welcoming sight. A view that provoked a tranquil sentiment and contentment in most but to Draco when he saw his home he remembered the atrocities that had happened there, to him and to others. When he came home he would sense a small shiver trickle down his spine and he would feel on edge. He shook his head as though trying to rid these thoughts from his mind. Again he pulled out his wan and pointed at his companions sleeping face.

"Vigilans tempus." The girl stirred and opened her eyes. At first she was dazed and groggy but as she looked around she quickly became alert and focused.

"Where am I?" Her voice was high and panicky.

"You're at my house. I thought you wanted to come." Draco replied, feigning confusion.

"I did. I do, I just. . . We were at the club. How did we get here.?" Draco let his eyebrows shoot up in fake surprise and consternation.

"You mean you don't remember the taxi drive?" He paused for a moment before continuing, "Maybe I should take you home."

"NO! I mean, no thanks. I'm fine. Really!" She looked around and spotted the stately home set far up a manicured lawn. "Is that your house?" She continued.

"Yes. Do you like it?" The girl nodded and Draco took her hand. He led her to the large iron fence and rubbed his Mark against it on the pretence of pushing them open. The walk up the drive took almost five minutes and the couple never spoke. When they reached the great doorway Draco pulled the girl closer and lightly pressed his lips against hers. He pushed upon the left door and held it open allowing the girl to enter first. He entered close behind and shut the oak door behind him. He turned around and groaned. Pansy Parkinson was sitting on one of the benches that lined the walls of the entrance hall. She smirked when she saw his partner for the evening and stood up with an malicious grin framing her face.

"Tut tut, Draco. You sure have sunk low. Muggle girls." She shook her head and grinned wickedly. The girl beside Draco stirred with annoyance. She hadn't understood the insult but she could tell Pansy meant harm as every word dripped with malice. When Draco didn't speak the girl spoke up.

"You know what? I'm just going to go. Leave you and your girlfriend alone." She spun round and headed for the door. Draco grabbed her hand.

"No. Stacey! I want you here. Really." He softened his eyes and smiled warmly at her. It gave the opposite of the desired effect. The girl wrenched her hand from his grip and shouted.

"My name's Sophie." She ran out of the house, slamming the door behind her. Pansy began to giggle.

"Well. Well. That was sure fun. Thwarting another one of your plans to conquest a new girl every night. It never gets old." She smiled at Draco who never smiled back.

"Why is it that you can't get over me?" Asked Draco, the antagonism evident in his voice. Pansy drew a sharp breath obviously affronted.

"How dare you! Suggest that I still . . . I am over you. Course I am. I don't even care that you've been with hundreds of girls since me. I don't care for you. Ok?" Draco laughed at her insistent baffling and asked,

"Oh really? You don't love me at all anymore."

"Exactly. I couldn't care less about you." In one swift motion Draco stepped closer to her and grabbed her head. He pulled her lips to his. Very soon he heard her moan and felt her arms snake round his neck. Her hands were in his hair and he could feel her tongue darting into his mouth. He pulled back.

"Really? It looks like you still like me." Her mouth shout open in outrage as she realised she had been tricked. She pulled her arms away from him and stepped back.

"I hate you!" She screamed.

"No. You still love me. We just clarified that. Remember?" She opened her mouth wide and wailed. She dropped to the floor and lay down on the ground, like a toddler having a temper tantrum. Draco waited for her to fall silent. When her wails had subsided he headed toward the grand staircase and started to climb it. He noticed on the eighth step that Pansy wasn't following.

"Aren't you coming?" Pansy lifted her head. Her eyes were red and bloodshot.

"Do you think that after you embarrass me and dismiss my love for you like that I'll just follow you up the stairs like some sad little puppy and spend the night with you? " She asked with no real conviction.

"Yes. I do actually." Was the reply from Draco. Without another look he resumed his ascent of the stairs. Confident that she would follow. Sure enough after watching Draco climb the steps Pansy pulled herself up and sighed. She followed him up the stairs.

Draco could hear Pansy's breathe as she slept peacefully beside him. For the first time he was envious of her. At that moment Draco would've given anything to be asleep and unable to see the things that haunted him. For Draco it was worse in the dark. In the dark he could see her. Everywhere. Standing in the corner with an accusatory glare. At the end of the bed her blue eyes filled with pain and sorrow. Standing at the window watching the world she wouldn't be a part of again. And the worst, her lying on the floor, her body still and cold, her eyes blank and unseeing and her heart motionless. Draco could see her everywhere and he couldn't forget. He couldn't escape from the things he had done.

Hermione sprinted into the ward as quickly as humanely possible. She glanced at the clock. Good. She was right on time. She paused and adjusted her white healers pinafore before heading up the ward. She halted at every bedside and checked up on the patient before moving onto the next. She listened patiently to the grumblings and complaints and, occasionally, made notes on the chart at the bottom of the bed. After checking their health she would spend a moment chatting to each patient. Hearing their news and sharing her own. Hermione prided herself on being not only a great Healer medically but as a confidante, friend or supporter, whatever the patient needed the most. This made her very successful. All of her patients loved her and felt calmed by her presence. Often they would write her letters of thank you or praise her to her superiors once they were healed. She was moving on up in the hospital and she wasn't going to stop until she was the boss. Until nobody could look down on her because she was muggle born. She reached the end of the ward and opened a door that held a plaque inscribed with

"Hermione Granger. Head Healer of Elphias Doge Ward." A scene of total devastation met her eyes.

Luna was reclining in a chair facing Hermione's desk, a cup of tea balanced on her swollen belly. A blonde girl of about five years of age was emptying the drawers of their contents and another blonde girl, this one just a toddler, was squishing Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans onto the carpet. Hermione cleared her throat and sat down behind the desk so she was facing Luna. Tallulah scampered away from her drawers when she sat down. Her hair was loose and was now so long it hung about her waist. It fell in loose curls and complemented her dress very well. Unfortunately the same couldn't be said about the orange tights that looked odd under the purple dress. Hermione looked across at Athena and saw that her hair had been pulled back into lopsided bunches. One bunch sat at about the same level as her ear the other was almost on top of her head. Her dungarees had paint splodges as did her hands. Hermione focused her gaze on Luna and asked.

"How's the bump?" Luna grimaced.

"It's kicking. A lot. This one's going to make a great explorer when it's older." Hermione smiled and decided it was best not to question Luna's logic.

"How's Dean?" Luna's face lit up as she told Hermione how ,since Dean had overhauled the Quibbler's image, sales had gone up by fifty percent.

Luna and Dean had surprised everybody when they became a couple just after the War had ended. They started a whirlwind courtship that resulted in an elopement to America and a spontaneous wedding ceremony in the middle of Times Square after Luna found out her American Aunt Nelly could officiate at wedding ceremonies. And so they were married after only just eight months together. Two years later they had Tallulah, then after a further two years and a half they had Athena and nearly nine months ago Luna became pregnant with her third child.

". . . two weeks left now. Only two weeks. Just imagine, in two weeks I'll be a mum of three not two. Can you believe it?" Hermione was just about to answer when Luna shrieked.

"NO! Tallulah, no! Put that down." Hermione turned round just in time to see Tallulah push the ear end of the stethoscope up Athena's nose. Hermione quickly leaned over and plucked it out. She turned to Luna who was shaking her head but smiling at her daughters at the same time. Hermione opened her mouth but before she could speak a voice rang out across the room.

"Hermione Granger to go to Miss O'Reilly's office as soon as possible. Hermione Granger to go to Miss O'Reilly's office."

I stood up and hugged both Tallulah and Athena. I turned to Luna.

"You look after yourself." She nodded and promised she would. I patted her stomach and squeezed her as close as I could with her engorged belly in the way. I walked them out of the ward and then headed to my bosses office.

Fiona O'Reilly was uncomfortable. She knew what she had to say to Hermione and she wasn't looking forward to it. She tried frantically to think of some way out of it but when her mind drew a blank she resolved to tell Hermione the truth. Faced with Hermione's earnest face she knew she had to say something. She took a deep breathe and began.

"Look, Hermione, you know that Claire is leaving us in two months to go to Australia?" Hermione nodded and tried not to smile at how high Fiona's Irish accent had went. Then she realised it had to be high for a reason and all of a sudden Hermione wasn't so confident about her Healer ability.

"Well, ummm, someone is going to get a promotion to Head of your floor and, of course, I suggested you to the Board. The only thing is the Board aren't sure if someone of your . . . Ummm, background is up to the job. They, well, they want a pureblood, or at least a half blood." Fiona stopped talking and looked worriedly at Hermione's face. When Hermione never spoke she continued.

"I'm so sorry. I truly believe you are best off the job but I can't do anything to change their minds. I'm so sorry! Please, I'll try to make it up to you. I'll. . ."

"It's okay. It's not your fault." Hermione tried to act as though her world had not just shattered around her, as though all her hopes and dreams had not just been pulled from her grasp but even to her own ears she sounded funny, wooden . Like she wasn't really there. Which is exactly how she felt. She felt as though she were looking down at somebody who looked like her but wasn't her. A lesser version of herself. She felt as though she was freefalling from the edge of a cliff deeper and deeper down into the uncertain and vague future. Down there it was dark and cold and she felt as though she were suffocating. Surrounded on all sides by the people who had jeered at her and knocked her down because of her birth status. Right at the front, taunting louder than anybody else was Malfoy. His pale face lit by the delight that hurting others brought to him. She felt a jolt of fury and repulsion flash through her body and right then she resolved to hate him for the rest of her days.


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN- Sorry it took me so long to update but I've just finished my prelims so I had tons of studying to do. Hopefully updates will be a lot faster but I make no promises. I would just like to say that my story has got 39 hits yet only one review. Please please review. Reviews are like caffeine for the fingers so updates will definitely be speeded up by more reviews. Big thanks to 4SnowWolf who did review.**_

_**Disclaimer: Jk owns Harry Potter. If I owned Harry Potter the series would never have ended!**_

_Draco slowly opens the door. The girl looks at him, her eyes widen and she recoils in fear. Draco steps closer and she starts to sob._

"_Please, no more, please. I can't take it." She whispers through the shadows. Again Draco steps forward and the girl starts to shake. Draco lifts his hand and points his wand at where he assumes her face is._

"_Lumos." A light appears and Draco sees her for the first time. She is just a kid. Thirteen or fourteen at the most. Her shirt is ripped and her face bloody and bruised. Draco watches as a tear slides from her swollen eye. She looks down at the floor and starts to cry. Draco reaches out and places a hand on her shoulder. She yelps and pulls away. She starts to mutter, mostly unintelligible._

"_Mum. . . . . . Hurts so bad . . . . . .home. . . . . . I just want. . . . . . . . . Please please?" Draco closes his eyes and his jaw hardens._

"_I'm going to get you out of here." He speaks without meaning to but he knows what he has to do. He grabs the girl and pulls her up. He leads her to the door and unlocks it quickly. He hauls her up the stairs and creeps out into the carpeted hallway. All is silent._

_Again he grabs the girls hand and swiftly leads her away. Together they reach a door and Draco pulls it open. It leads to safety. The girl turns to thank him but instead he is blinded by a bright green light. Draco hears a brisk yet blood curdling scream before everything falls silent. Draco can see the girl but she can't see him. Her eyes are blank and as numb as stone. Her face frozen in a terrifying scream. She doesn't move._

Draco sat up suddenly. It was dark. For a moment he was panicky before he realised he was in his bed. He leant back against his pillows and sighed. Another night without any sleep. He closed his eyes but they shot wide open again after only a few seconds. The girl was still burned in the back of his eyes.

He sat up and switched his bedside lamp on. There didn't seem to be any point in trying to sleep, he knew he wouldn't be able to. He looked around his ornate bedroom and his eyes fell upon a small folded not sitting on top of his dresser. He climbed out of bed and picked up the note. It was written in a girly print and the parchment smelt like perfume.

"Pansy." Draco muttered before opening the note. It read: I had fun. We should do this again. Love , your darling Pansy xxx. Draco groaned. Had Pansy really not understood when he told her did not love her? Draco threw the note into his wastepaper bin and left the room in a foul mood.

He exited onto an opulently decorated hall. Draco headed for the stair but before he reached them he heard angry muttering coming from his father's office. He paused for a moment before continuing on his way down to the kitchen, it wasn't unusual to hear his father murmuring in the middle of the night, but then he heard his mother's rage answering his father's urgent whisperings and he became curious. That was unusual. His mother usually a refined woman very rarely shouted and since the War ended he had barely seen his mother speak two words to his father. She usually stayed out of his way and spoke only to him when it was necessary but yet, here she was seeking an argument with him in the middle of the night. Draco hesitated. Did he really want to find out what was going on? If he was caught eavesdropping outside his father's office he'd have hell to pay. Was it really worth it? Curiosity triumphed over Draco's good sense and he crept down towards his father's office.

"No. Lucius, I won't let you do it." He heard his mother's voice. Soft and lilting like it had always been but somehow it had change. There was a hard and brutal note in it somewhere.

"You won't let me? Since when have you decide what I do and do not do?" Lucius laughed at Draco's mother.

"You say you want to restore our family's honour but if you got caught we would be in a worse state than we are now. We'd all have to do to Azkaban, even your completely innocent son."

"Draco is hardly innocent. He's done bad things. Terrible things."

"How dare you! This, all of it, is your fault. I begged you when we had Draco to give up all of it. For me and for your son. I begged you to stop all that Death Eater nonsense and you promised me you would. You promised. You looked me in the eyes and promised. But as soon as your Lord returned you ran right off to him and got me and , worse of all, your teenage son involved. "

"Draco would have gotten involved even if I hadn't been a Death Eater."

"Maybe he would've joined them anyway but if we had brought him up with the right morals and the right values and we hadn't told him to hate mudbloods everyday of his life then he might have done the right thing. How can you expect a child to learn right from wrong if he is taught them wrong."

"Narcissa I have made up my mind. She is our only option."

"No. Lucius, you can't bring her here. You do have other options. You can live with the mess you've made. You deserve it. You and I deserve it, in fact, we deserve a hell of more than this but you made you're bed, now lie in it."

"No. I will bring her here and everything will work out exactly as planned. Everything will be better. Me and you will be better."

"You can't be serious about forcing our son into this. Do you not hear him? Screaming every night. Every night he has to watch that poor girl die and every night he feel guilty about it. You hear him wail when he remembers what he's did. You know that he will never forgive himself for what he has done and you want to do this to him? You are a sick sick man."

Draco heard a wail from his mother the same time as he heard flesh against flesh. His mother began to cry. He knew in the morning his mother would emerge from her room with another black eye and a story demonstrating her extreme clumsiness to go with it. And again Draco won't question it. Just like every other time he'll play along and act like nothing is wrong with his family. Just like every other time he will pretend he doesn't know what a monster his father is. Just like every other time he will stow away his boiling hatred somewhere he can't feel it anymore because , truth is, Draco is just as afraid now as he was when he first heard of his father's twisted plans for him. Still just as terrified as the skinny, gangly nine year old he once was.

Hermione looked nervously in the mirror. She smiled at her reflection. For the first time in a long while she felt truly beautiful. Her long brown bushy hair had been softened into a few tidy curls. Her hair had been scraped back and pinned at the bottom right hand side of her neck so that a cascade of curls fell over her shoulder and onto her chest. Her make up had been expertly done, by Ginny of course. Her big brown eyes had been made even more prominent by Ginny's liberal use of deep brown eyeliner and mascara. Her lips had been carefully painted a deep red colour to match her shockingly scarlet dress. The dress was low cut allowing just enough décolletage to be on view. It was long and swept the floor when she walked. It was tight and showed of her slim figure while still bringing her curvy hips into view. When Hermione looked into the mirror she didn't see the geeky and socially awkward girl she always. She saw a confident and sexy seductress. In fact, Hermione thought that she almost looked like a 1930's movie starlet. Like Vivien Leigh or a brunette version of Jean Harlow. Hermione checked her make up once more in th mirror before closing her eyes and disapparating. When she opened them she was in a roped of section of a bustling restaurant.

Hermione surveyed the restaurant and was glad to see it as busy as ever. A suited waiter approached the rope and unhooked it for her. When she stepped over the line a champagne flute appeared in the waiters experienced hands. He handed it to her an took her hand and guided he to a table in the corner. Hermione looked around hopeful. Inside her head she had an image of Ron dressed to impress in a tuxedo. In her mind he had a box of chocolates and a poem to read to her. Inside her head she imagined him bringing out a small yet intricate box and bending down on one knee. In her imagination she could see him propose with the most romantic speak ever spoken. In her head she could see herself gushing over the ring and accepting the proposal without moment a doubt. She could see it all happening and she was sure that tonight was the night. She heaved herself back to reality just in time to see Ron stand up to greet her. He was still in his work clothes.

"Hermione, hey!" He leant in and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. "Happy birthday, honey. I've got a special present for you this year."

Inside Hermione's heart stopped beating just for a moment. A special present! Special! It had to be a ring. She just knew it.

"Thanks. You look. . . Dashing." Hermione waited for Ron to pull out her chair but he was already seated back in his own. Hermione took her seat and looked at Ron.

"You look nice." He told her. Inside Hermione sighed. Three hours she spent getting ready and all Ron could come up with was nice. She had went to all that effort and he turned up in the top wizarding restaurant in England with his work suit on. She knew Ron meant well but sometimes she wished Ron had just a little more class and the vocabulary of somebody at least older than six.

"So. . . . Do you want your present now?" He asked. Not the best start to a proposal thought Hermione but she guessed his excitement was just getting to him. Hermione nodded and although she tried not to her mouth stretched into a huge grin. Ron pointed his wand at the table and screwed up his face like somebody with constipation. Inwardly, Hermione groaned, Ron had never learned how to do magic without screwing up his face like he was in intense pain. She supposed it didn't matter much but it wasn't the most attractive view.

Suddenly a box appeared on the table. Hermione's face fell, it was too big to be a ring box. It was the size of a small shoebox and it was wrapped in scarlet paper with golden roses.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?", asked Ron. Hermione nodded and did her best to look excited. She leant forward and slowly opened the box. It held a large book, her favourite, entitled Gone With The Wind. She looked up at Ron, he was grinning at her.

"Look at the publication date! 1939, an original!" Hermione burst into tears.

"Hermione! What's wrong? Is it the book? I thought you'd like it!" Hermione could fell the stares of the customers in the restaurant boring into her back but she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I-I thought tha-that you were getting me a ring! An engagement ring!" She wailed.

Ron's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he spluttered,

"Why on earth would you think that?" He asked, incredulously.

Suddenly Hermione's tear stopped and she was livid.

"Why do you find that so unlikely. We've being going out for year, the next natural step would be for us to get married."

"Hermione, I don't want to get married. Ever."

"And why the hell not?" She shouted.

"It's too much of a commitment."

"I thought you loved me."

"I do, just not that much." Instantly Ron realised that he had said the wrong thing. Hermione glowered at him.

"Go home no and pack up your stuff. I'm going to Harry and Ginny's. If you are still there tomorrow morning when I get home I will jinx you and destroy any of your stuff still there." Ron tried to protest but Hermione ignored him. Eventually, he gave up and disaparrated. Hermione stared at the spot he had left from and felt a tear fall from her eye and run down her cheek. She was a failure. The only real boyfriend she'd ever had didn't really love her. She had nobody, not really. Harry and Ginny cared about her, of course they did, but they had each other and they were to engrossed in trying to have a baby to spend as much time together as they used to. All Hermione ever wanted was to get married and have kids. Her career was important to her, very important but she'd always assumed that she would have a family one day. Now that al just looked extremely unlikely. All she had now was her job and even the bosses didn't really want her. All she had left was her career and Hermione would do anyting to prove she wasn't a complete failure. She was going to make a success of her work. She was going to get that promotion. She was going to win.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN- A nice, longish chapter for you guys. Now i hope you appreciate it because right now it's two O'Clock in the morning in Scotland and i'm struggling to keep my eyes open. I would just like to say my story has now got 122 hits and yet only three reviews so please review. This time I am going to bed, yes beg, for reviews. It may be demeaning but I can't stress how much reviews mean and how helpful and/or encouraging they can be. if you read this please take 30 seconds to drop a review saying what you liked or didn't like or what you think I could do to improve. I am actually on my knee begging for reviews so please, help me out! Big thanks to 4SnowWolf who reviewed again and also to HighlandBride who also reviewed. Thank you.**

**DISCLAIMER- I AM NOT NEARLY COOL ENOUGH TO OWN HARRY POTTER.**

Draco sat at the breakfast table, alone. His father had left early that morning without informing anyone of where he was going and Draco was sure that his mother was trying to cover up her newest bruise. Draco looked sadly at the table set for three. Very rarely was the family ever all together at the table.

Draco thought back to the days when he was young and he felt like the luckiest boy in the world. He had a huge home with sprawling gardens, perfect for exploring. He had a loving and happy mother who never tired of pretending to watch out for troublesome pixies for him. Even though his father was a man who was never home and when he was never tired of telling Draco how he had to be the best and nothing less, he was happy. He could see that his father was well respected and Draco wanted to be just like him when he was older. They were a family and Draco was glad to be a Malfoy but then he started to fail. He went to Hogwarts and was given his first duty from his father: befriend Harry Potter.

Draco couldn't and wouldn't do it. He didn't understand why he, a Malfoy, should bother with a scrawny kid like Potter. His father didn't speak to him for months. As an eleven year old boy away from home for the first time he was already scared but when his father stopped writing to him he was terrified. He had always done what he could to please the man but even that hadn't been enough. Eventually, under Narcissa's persuasion Lucius wrote one letter to him with only seven words. You'd better be top of your year.

Draco tried everything to be the top but he couldn't manage it. Hermione Granger always got the top place and he, Draco, would be delegated second or third. Yes, he was intelligent but just not quite smart enough. When Draco arrived home he learned the true meaning of the word wrath. His father punished him for the whole holidays and when he learned his only son was beaten by a mudblood Draco received a slap for all his hard work. Draco supposed he had always blamed Granger for that slap. He believed it to be Granger's fault and not his father's. Draco guessed that was the real reason he had always hated her. Inside Draco couldn't care less about blood but Granger had always got to him because she made him feel weak. She made him feel small and inferior. She made his dad violent.

Draco's life wasn't the walk in the park it seemed to be. To outsiders his family appeared to be the happiest family in the whole of the wizarding world. They attended charity events together and posed for pictures with smiles on their faces. His father talked about how wonderful his wife was and how proud he was of his son. His mother appeared to have everything any woman could want but that was all it was, appearances. The outside world couldn't hear his parents arguments or see the disappointment in Lucius' eyes when he looked at Draco. They couldn't hear his father's lectures when Draco did anything that was less than perfect. And they couldn't hear his screams or see the bruises on his back when he did things less than impeccably.

Draco coped though. He was strong. Eventually he got so used to the beatings that he wouldn't even let out a whimper. The bruises were on his back and Draco ensured that they were never on show. They embarrassed him. He saw each and everyone as a symbol of how pathetic and weak he was. They stayed hidden under his robes and he never told a single soul. His mother did her best. She would comfort him whenever she could. She told Draco every single day how much she loved him and how proud she was to have him as her son. Narcissa would have taken him away if she could but she knew her husband. She knew how dangerous he truly was. She knew if she ever took Draco away, Lucius would hunt them down and kill her and then make Draco pay. Narcissa hated what she was allowing to happen to her son but she didn't know what to do. She was scared and alone. She was all Draco had and Draco was all that she had and they clung to each other like their lives depended on it.

Draco dealt with every single thing that came his way without complaint. Draco managed for fourteen years rather well in the circumstances but at the end of his fourth year at Hogwarts everything changed. His father was no longer just a sick and violent man he was now a Death Eater. Draco now had a new and more terrifying master than before. Things got gradually worse.

Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn't going to sit there and feel sorry for himself. What had happened, happened. Nothing was going to change that. Nothing was going to just fix him and take away the things that he felt. Draco sometimes felt like just going away and letting everything out. Going somewhere far away to just open up all those locked up thing inside him and getting them out. Maybe then he would have a chance at peace. Draco knew he couldn't do that, though. Who knew what would come out?

The door to the kitchen dining room opened and Narcissa Malfoy gracefully strolled into the room. When she entered Draco carefully searched her face for bruises or cuts but he could find none.

"Morning, honey" She smiled at Draco.

"Morning, Mother." He replied. Narcissa sat down at the table and looked across to the house elf standing quietly and unobtrusively in the corner.

"Nissa, fetch me some pears with Greek yoghurt?" The small house elf nodded and headed towards the door.

"Add a little honey as well, please." When Nissa returned with her breakfast Narcissa daintily lifted her spoon and began to eat. As usual she ate only half of her breakfast.

Draco watched his mother as she ate and then began to read the Daily Prophet. He surveyed her as closely as he could over the top of the paper. Eventually, Draco realised that his mother was just going to pretend that nothing had happened like she always did so he jumped out of his chair and stalked out the room. Just as he left he heard his name being called.

"Draco! Come back here right now." Draco sighed and entered back into the dining room.

"Where are you going? We always eat breakfast together, as a family."

"As a family, eh? When was the last time Dad ever joined in with the family?"

"Your father is a busy man, Draco. You know that."

"Of course I know that. He's always been a busy man. Missing nearly all of my birthdays, only once turning up for one of my Quidditch matches, he only wrote lectures to me when I was at school, not real letters, and the only reason he was home for Christmas was because everywhere was closed. He doesn't love me, he never loved me."

Draco could feel his eyes beginning to sting. He looked down at the floor and closed his eyes. He took two deep breaths to steady himself. He wasn't going to cry. His father always said tears were a sign of a weak man. He was about to look back up and continue arguing with his mother when he felt her arms around him. She gently stroked his hair and patted his back. He was shocked. It had been a long time since he had last had his guard down long enough to let his mother in. Usually, he shied away from showings of emotion or affectionate embraces but it was nice. He felt young again. Like a little boy. He felt like he did when he came home from Hogwarts at the holidays when he was a little boy. His mother would always be so pleased to see him. She would listen to his long and pointless stories. She would hold him close to her and squeeze him so tight that he often felt like the air was being knocked out of him. Those were the days he liked best.

_Draco stepped off the scarlet engine and jumped excitedly onto platform nine and three quarters. The train whistled and issued another cloud of billowing steam. The boy marvelled at the hustle and bustle of the platform. He gaped at the welcoming families that stood about grouped in various pockets all over the place. He reached behind him and grabbed the trunk that still lay on the train. It was heavy. Too heavy for a twelve year old whose whole body was shaking with excitement. In his right hand he was clutching a letter from his father that promised he would pick him up at the station when he got home for the summer after his first year. _

_He looked around for his parents and instead saw Ron being welcomed by his family.. There was a lot of Weasleys. Their mother was short and a little plump but her smile when she saw her sons arrive home for the summer even made Draco smile, a rather miraculous feat. A little girl was also there. Draco guessed by her size that she would be starting Hogwarts soon perhaps even after the holidays. He watched as she welcomed her brothers and smiled at them with well disguised admiration. He looked on as the twins took an arm and a leg each and started to swing her one way and then the other. When they put her down she looked dizzy, although that might just have been from the excitement._

_Draco thought about his long, solitary summers. His mother tried his best but a fully grown woman wasn't the best companion for a twelve year old boy. Of course, he could have his friends from school over but he knew they weren't really friends. They were his dads friends sons. They had almost nothing in common and if they weren't such effective bodyguards Draco knew he probably wouldn't have bothered with them at all. What he wanted more than anything else was a sibling. Somebody he could play with and always have nearby to help break the monotony of the summer. Somebody who would understand what it was like to be a Malfoy. What it was like to have a dad like the infamous Lucius Malfoy. Draco would have given anything for a brother, or even a sister. He would've given his money, his status or his enforced popularity at school for a sibling. He would even have left his stately manor to go and live in a dump like the Weasley's if he could just have a brother or a sister. He glanced back over at the Weasley's. Yes, they were poor and yes, they were the biggest blood traitors around but they looked happy. The spoke to each other out of love and affection and not to fill the empty spaces in a too big house. They teased each other relentlessly and yet each knew how much the rest of their family truly cared. Their happiness didn't seem forced or faked. They interacted together with an easy grace that couldn't be faked. They were a family, not just by blood but in every sense of the word. They loved each other, they would fight to the death to protect the others, they look out for each other and they truly do care about the others welfare. They placed others in their family before themselves. That was the family Draco wanted._

_Draco dragged his pale eyes from the warming scene and raked the crowds for his parents. He spotted his mother standing near the back of the crowd. Draco raced towards her and ran straight into her arms._

"_Oh, I missed you!" She breathed into his hair. She pulled back from the hug and leaned back so she could get a good look at him. _

"_Somebody's getting tall!" She exclaimed but Draco didn't here her. He was looking for his absent father. _

"_Mum, where's father?" pursed her lips for only second. She smiled at her son with a forced air of cheeriness._

"_He had to go to a meeting. You'll see him soon." Narcissa had to watch as her son's face fell. As her husband of many years disappointed their only son yet again._

"_He'll be done soon. He got all your favourites ready for you coming home. He got you a new broomstick. He got all your favourite party food in for you, there's even a cake for you. Better yet, there's a banister over the stairs that says: WELCOME HOME DRACO! " She described the preparations she had made for him coming home._

"_Dad did that for me?" He asked, surprised. Narcissa nodded._

"_Course he did. All his idea. He loves you so much."_

"_He does?" It pained Narcissa to see her son so unsure of his father's love. She nodded swiftly before standing up and helping with his suitcase. She kept her face hidden from her son. She didn't want him to see the tears that graced her face._

Draco leant into his mother's hug. It was heaven. Draco couldn't remember the last time he had felt this peaceful. All his worries had floated away, they were gone. He wasn't worrying about anything. For the first time in a long time he felt like he was truly at home.

Draco stepped back and looked at his mother, smiling. Something was wrong, Her face was streaked with tears and she was refusing to look at him.

"I'm sorry, Draco. I'm so so sorry." Draco tried to speak but before he had even opened his mouth his mother had left with a final flourish from her robes.

Draco sighed and sat back down at the table. Was his mother apologising for things that had happened or things that were yet to come? Draco didn't know but it certainly struck Draco as rather omniscient. He lay his head on the table. Why couldn't his life just be simple?

Hermione marched into work as quickly as she could. She kept her head down and yet she could still feel the stares of her co-workers boring into her neck. She stalked up the corridor and was very close to breaking into a sprint when someone grabbed her hand and pulled her into one of the supply closets.

"Well, Charlotte if you wanted to seduce me all you had to do was ask!" Whispered Hermione, while raising one of her eyebrows.

"Oh! Funny!" Charlotte glared at her for a second before she softened her face into a worried and sympathetic expression.

"Are you ok? Ginny wrote to me and told me what happened. I know that Ron meant a lot to you."

"I'm fine." Charlotte shot a dubious look at Hermione. "Really! I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Charlotte leaned in and gave Hermione a long hug. "You feel better now?"

"I do actually." Smiled Hermione.

"See, I'm telling you hugs are the best medicine. I reckon if I just go around hugging people we'll have empty wards this time tomorrow."

"I'd like to see Muriel's face if you tried to hug her!" Laughed Hermione.

"What are you talking about?" Asked Charlotte pretending to be perplexed.

"Muriel Weasley? There's nothing she likes more than a good hug session."

"I think you should try. Maybe it isn't dragon pox. She could just be suffering from a hug deficiency. " Was the reply from Hermione.

"I'm on my way now!" Charlotte reached past Hermione and pushed the door open. They tumbled out into the corridor, right into the path of their boss.

"Mrs. O'Reilly!" Exclaimed Hermione. She looked rather shocked to find Hermione tumbling out of closets but she was pleased to find her, regardless.

"Granger. I have a house call I'd like you to make."

"Yes Miss. What is the name of the residence?" O'Reilly hesitated for barely a moment but it was long enough for Hermione to notice.

"Malfoy Manor."

"Malfoy? I'm sorry, I can't treat that patient."

"Hermione. . . "

"No. I can't do it." Hermione looked into the pleading eyes of her boss before she began to feel ashamed. She looked down at the heavily polished floor.

"If you do it, it might change the Board's mind." Hermione's head snapped up so fast that she very nearly got a crick in her neck.

"What?" O'Reilly smiled as she saw the raw ambition that made Hermione such a great Healer.

"The board, of course, know about your history. They know all about your relationship with the Malfoy's. It would show a huge level of maturity and dedication to the job. I think-"

"I'll do it!" Hermione nearly shouted across the corridor. Mrs O'Reilly smiled.

"Thank you. It's Mr Malfoy Senior. Good luck."

Hermione turned down the corridor and stalked straight up to a door labelled Floo. I opened the door and entered into a small room. It was empty except from the two fireplaces at the far end. A sign hung over each of the fireplaces. One read OUTGOINGS the other read INCOMINGS. Hermione headed to the farther left one and picked up a handful of slightly sooty powder. She threw it into the roaring fire. The flames instantly turned green. Hermione paused for a moment. She still wasn't sure if this was a good idea. She hated all of the Malfoy's. There was no guarantee that she wouldn't just throttle them all when she first arrived. NO. She was a professional she'd be fine. Course she would. Hermione spent a moment composing herself and convincing herself that this was really a good idea. She looked at the bright emerald flames. It was time to go. She clambered into the fireplace and shouted,

"Malfoy Manor." She fell out of the fireplace into a well decorated room. She coughed and looked down at her uniform.

"Crap." She was covered in soot. Hermione scrambled to her feet and siphoned of the soot using her wand. She looked around the large room. It appeared to be a sitting room. She was alone. It was clearly expensive decorating. The carpet felt spongy and thick under Hermione's feet. The panelling was wooden with gold gilding around the edges. An ornate couch was at one end of the room accompanied by a matching armchair. Hermione spotted the door in the faraway corner. She started towards it but stopped before she reached it. She wasn't sure if she was in the right place. She glanced around the room. She wondered whether there was anything she could use to identify the residents. She looked back at the fireplace. She knew who live there. She was in the right place.

A large portrait of the family hung over the fireplace. They were all startling blonde. It was an old portrait. Draco looked, to Hermione, to be about eleven years old, Perhaps they had it done for Draco going to school, thought Hermione. He didn't look happy. In fact he looked downright uncomfortable in the portrait. Although he was smiling there was a small indentation between hi eyebrows that indicated happiness was not his real emotion. Hermione looked at Lucius. He looked severe and unyielding. He actually looked rather frightening. A pretty fair representation then. Hermione then looked at Narcissa. She was the only one who seemed to be truly happy. She was smiling with her eyes as well as her mouth. Her hand was resting on Draco's shoulder and she seemed to be reassuring him. Her cheeks had a slight pink tinge that made her look healthy and fresh faced. There was a disconcerting beauty about her. It seemed weird to Hermione that a Death Eater could look so kind and homely. Hermione glanced over the picture a couple of times but eventually she dragged herself away. She headed to the door and crept out into the hall. She barely had time to look up and down the long and well decorated hall before she was hit squarely in the back by a jet of bright yellow light.

Hermione opened her eyes. She was looking at a ceiling. A ceiling with a huge chandelier. She sat up.

"Oww!" She was dizzy. In a rush of remembrance everything came back to here. Her hand flew done to her pocket her wand was gone. She was back in the room with the portrait. Gently she climbed to her feet. She took one unsteady step before she dshed to the door.

"Let me out! Please, just let me out! Let me out NOW! I just want to go home!" She hammered on the door until her knuckles began to bleed. She leaned against the door and sank down to the carpet. Her head hurt, now her hand hurt and she was stuck in this crappy place. She started to sob. The tears fell out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. It really hadn't been Hermione's couple of days. She didn't know what was going to happen to her but shockingly she didn't have the strength to care. She was tired, tired of all of it. Nothing was playing out like she had planned. Everything was going wrong. Hermione wasn't good at coping with thing that weren't included in her ten year plan. She was sick of it. Every time she thought she had things sorted something would come along that would ruin everything.

He heard footsteps outside the door. She jumped up and screamed,

"Please! Just let me out!" To her surprise the door opened. Draco Malfoy was standing in front of her with and incredibly surprised look on his face.

"Granger?" He gasped. Hermione looked into his concerned eyes and did something she would never ever live done. She fainted. She fainted right into Draco Malfoy's arms.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN- I found this chapter dead hard to write. I'm not sure why but I found myself getting so annoyed at it. I just hope that my annoyance hasn't translated onto page.**

**Huge thanks to 4SnowWolf who has been so helpful and encouraging. This chapter is dedicated to her! Thank you! Big thanks to lovetolaugh561 and HighlandBride who left lovely reviews. They really are appreciated thank you.**

**Again I ask everyone reading this to please review. Just drop a quick line or two to tell me your thoughts about my story. Please, I really do appreciate them all.**

**Btw, today for the first time I went to the Gone With The Wind section of the site. I was highly amused after a reading a story to find that a huge argument had broken out int the review section between several reviewers and the author. Wow! The GWTW fans are so intense. If anyone reads a lot of GWTW fanfictions, are the fans usually so intimidating? They were rather scary!**

**I'd also like to tell everyone that I have another fanfcition called Death Is Nothing At All. It's a series of one shots all related to death or mourning. I would love it if you could take a few minutes to read. I have to admit I think the second chapter is much better than the first. The link is **.net/s/6760966/1/Death_Is_Nothing_At_All **Just add** **w**orld **w**ide **w**eb**.** fanfiction **before the start. It wont allow me to put the whole link in. I'm not sure why. Please check it out!**

**I hope you enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER- JK _still _owns all!**

"Granger. Granger, come on. You have to wake up!" Draco nudged her shoulder but she didn't move. He looked up and down the hall. There was nobody there. He faced her again and called, louder this time.

"Granger! Come on! Wake up!" It obviously wasn't working. He leaned in until his face was only a few inches from hers.

"Hermione." He spoke gently, in a persuading tone, "Hermione, time to get up."

She blinked her eyes groggily.

"Come on, that's right up you get. Come on." He urged.

Her eyelids seemed heavy, she was struggling to keep them open but when her gaze focused on Malfoy they shot wide open. She sat up in a flash.

"Ouch!" Her hands flew to her head.

"I think you bumped your head when you fell. You should be careful."

"Thanks genius." Hermione retorted. Draco smiled, bemused. She was acting like a child. Very unlike the intelligent yet slightly socially awkward girl he remembered from school.

"Did you enjoy your trip?" A smirk was playing around the corners of his mouth.

Hermione glared at him but didn't answer. Instead, tenderly, she searched her head for lumps and bumps.

"You know there's no need to be embarrassed." Draco said.

Hermione look at him, confused.

"A lot of girls are affected like that by my beauty. It's just too much, they can't take it so they fall to the floor. Greater people than you have succumbed to my charms. You don't have to feel self-conscious."

Hermione focused her deep brown eyes on him, reproachfully.

"You are insufferable, Malfoy." He chuckled lightly to himself. Draco had always enjoyed getting under her skin.

"Seriously, why are you here?" He asked. Draco had to admit, he was curious.

"I was sent here, by 's."

"Why?"

"Isn't someone sick?" Draco thought carefully. No, both his parents were perfectly fine. Something was going on. He was sure of it.

"Tell me exactly what happened when you got here."

Hermione looked up at him, surprised.

"Why? What diff-" Draco interrupted. If he was right, they had no time to lose.

"Just tell me."

"It's all kind of fuzzy."

"Just try. Please." Hermione looked at him for a second. She clearly didn't trust him. Draco returned her gaze just as steadily. After a moment she nodded.

"I came out the fire and I was in a room. The room with the portrait. I stepped out into the hall and. . . " Her nostrils flared and her eyes sparked with ferocity.

". . and I was hit, by a stunning spell, I think." She pulled back from Draco. She was trying to get away. Draco could tell that she thought it was him that had orchestrated the whole event.

He watched as she moved away from him, he couldn't let her go. Her grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet. He started to run, towing her behind. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp but he was strong. His hold was like steel, unyielding and unbreakable. He could only think of one thing, he had to get her out.

Draco jogged as fast he could while pulling her. She was slowing him down. Why couldn't she just stop struggling and realize that he was trying to help?

Together they flew down one corridor and then another. He stopped when he reached the great entrance doors. He let go of her and wrenched them open. When Hermione saw the sunlight she turned to Draco. Her mouth was open and surprise was clear in her eyes. She looked outside before turning to face Draco again. She opened her mouth but said nothing. She nodded to him. Draco guessed it was her way of thanks.

"Go. Hurry!"

Again she nodded and twisted round as if to leave. She had only taken a step when she exclaimed,

"My wand!"

"Go! You have to go." When she didn't move he tried again, "Now!"

She flew down the steps and reached the extensive driveway in a matter of seconds. She sprinted over the paving stones. Draco was impressed, she was pretty fast.

His heart rate was beginning to return to normal when he felt his shoulder being wrenched. His father was looking murderous. He pointed his wand at Draco's face. A jet of brilliant red light shot from the point of his wand. Draco froze. He couldn't move but he could still see and hear.

His father's jaw was clenched, his hands were rolled into fists. He paced up and down the hall before coming to an abrupt halt. He walked towards Draco until there was no space at all between them. Lucius looked at Draco with disgust. When he spoke it was quietly and the voice itself didn't sound angry but it was menacing. He spoke too gently in a way that was sinister. If Draco could have felt anything he was sure a shiver would have slithered down his spine.

"You will do what are you are told. Malfoy's do what they are ordered. Any son of mine will do what is required."

He flicked his wand and Draco fell to the floor.

Lucius wasted no time reflecting on the fact that his only son was lying stunned on the floor. Lucius stepped over him like he was nothing but a stain lowering the impeccably high standard of everything else in the room. He walked outside and looked around, searching for Hermione. It didn't take long to spot her. He raised his wand and aimed it. She too dropped like a stone.

Hermione wasted no time on feeling disorientated when she woke up for the second time in Malfoy Manor. Instantly, she was ready. Ready to do what, she didn't know but she _was _ready.

She was tied to a wooden chair, her ankles were roped together and her hands held behind her back. Lucius was standing in front of her. Narcissa was standing in the corner, her face turned down to the floor.

"How are you feeling?" Lucius asked from his position in the middle of the floor. Hermione glared at him but refused to answer.

Lucius marched up to her. He knelt down until his face was right in hers.

"I asked you a question." Hermione opened her mouth and spat in his face.

"Aargh!" Lucius pulled back and wiped all the saliva from his face. His face was red. A vein was throbbing on his forehead. He was livid, Hermione couldn't help but feel rather pleased with herself.

Lucius raised his hand. Hermione bowed her head and prepared for the pain she was sure was going to come. She screwed up her face and covered her head with her hands.

"No." Hermione heard Narcissa warn Lucius. Hermione looked up in time to see Lucius lower his hand.

"We want something from you."

"I'm surprised! What could a mudlood like me have to offer?"

"An awful lot, surprisingly."

"What makes you think I'd do anything for you?"

"You haven't heard what I have to say."

"Oh, Please. Do go on. I'd love to hear what you have to say." Lucius frowned at her, he seemed to find her tone of voice irritating. Hermione smirked, she was getting to him.

"I want you to marry Draco."

Hermione had not been expecting that. In fact, she was struck speechless. For the first time in her life she could think of absolutely nothing witty to say. It took a moment for her to digest the news. It made no sense.

Why would Lucius Malfoy, hater of all mud bloods, want her to marry his only son? She was confused. Of all the things she had been expecting him to request, this wasn't one of them.

"I'm sorry- What?"

"I want you to marry Draco."

"Why?" Hermione wasn't sure why she was discussing it with him. There was no way she was going to say yes but Hermione was still Hermione. She still hated not knowing the answer to anything. She had to know. She just had to.

"After the War our family sort of fell from grace. The Malfoy name has been dishonoured. I have to fix this."

"You're re-honouring the Malfoy name by allowing me to -how would you put it- sully your blood line?"

"It's not desirable but it's the only thing I can do. It's the only way. The only option-"

Narcissa Malfoy made a noise like an angry cat from her corner of the room. Hermione looked at her, shocked, but Narcissa was already back to looking at the floor. Hermione turned back to Lucius.

"Do you really think that kidnapping a muggle-born healer is the best way to prove to the world that you are over your prejudice?"

"Well, I'm not going to tell anyone and neither are you." Lucius's confidence in his plan was making Hermione nervous. Why was he so sure she'd agree to his plan?

"Why the hell wouldn't I tell?"

"We'll blank your memory. I was all for killing you if you didn't agree with the plan but apparently it isn't proper."

"So you'll let me go?" Hermione couldn't believe it, she was sure he was lying but she couldn't top herself from hoping, Just a tiny bit.

"Yes, I suppose. I still think I can convince you to do it."

"I will never, never, marry a Malfoy."

"You still haven't heard what I'm offering."

"I don't want your dirty money!" Lucius actually looked offended at her assumption.

"I may be prejudiced and immoral but I am not stupid. You, Granger, are too noble to accept money. You're too noble to accept anything for yourself, actually."

"What are you going to give me then?"

"You are close with the Potters aren't you?" Hermione nodded, what difference did that make.

"I have become aware that they have been having some problems conceiving, I-"

"Excuse me? How could you even know that?"

"I have my ways. But back to the things of more importance, I assume you are aware of a Muggle infertility treatment called IVF?

Again, Hermione nodded.

"I would be willing to pay for as many courses as it takes for them to have as many children as they want. "

Now, Hermione didn't know what to do. If Lucius had offered her anything for herself she would've said no. But this. . . This was a lot harder to say no to.

Harry and Ginny were her family. She loved both of them dearly. Hermione had been a bridesmaid on their wedding day, she'd seen Ginny take delight in watching Teddy every weekend and she was the first to be told that they were trying for a baby. Hermione had also seen as time after time Ginny failed to get pregnant. She watched Ginny blame herself and Harry blame himself. It had hurt her so much to see her two closest friends be unable to get what they really wanted. How could she not take this opportunity to give them what they most needed?

Hermione had always said she would die for Ginny and Harry, would marrying Malfoy be any worse than death? Hermione thought so.

"I think you've forgotten something. What will Malfoy- I mean, your son think of this? He won't marry me."

Lucius grinned, he had won. Hermione was giving in. He had her right where he wanted her.

"Draco will do as he is told. So, you'll do it you'll marry him?"

This was it. Hermione was going to give her answer. There was no going back. She closed her eyes and imagined Ginny an Harry with a small baby. She could see their smiles. They looked so joyful. Hermione didn't know what she was thinking about. There really only was one decision.

She lifted her head and looked straight into Mr. Malfoy's eyes. She refused to be intimidated by him. In a clear, confident voice she announced her answer.

"Yes. I'll do it."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN- Hey guys, sorry it took me rather long to update. I'll try to keep them coming as fast as possible. **

**I would just like to say a huge thanks to 4SnowWolf who very kindly agreed to Beta for me and put up with my constant misunderstanding of the way the DocX works. She was an absolutely great help and her input his hugely ****appreciated. Also she has given me lovely reviews from the start and they have really encouraged, especially when you get to a difficult you!**

**I'd also like to say thanks to LoveToLaugh561, HighlandBride and StevieOwnsYourHeart who reviewed my last chapter. Thanks, reviews really mean a lot to me.**

**Lastly, I would like to ask anyone reading this to review. Any writers will know how important they are and how they can give so much encouragement even when you're working through the most annoying chapters that never seem to come out right. Reviews rally make my day. When I update and find that I have had reviews it makes me smile for the rest of the day, so please review! I would love to hear from you.**

Hermione didn't know how long she waited alone in the room, alone. Mr. Malfoy had left long ago to fetch Draco and Mrs. Malfoy had followed soon after. Before she left she'd squeezed Hermione's shoulder and whispered something that sounded a lot like -sorry. Hermione didn't know why she was apologising, after all, it was partly her fault she was in this mess.

Hermione sighed, Draco obviously wasn't coming to get her. Quickly, Hermione jumped to her feet and headed for the door. Just as she reached out for it the door opened with a loud creak.

Draco seemed surprised to see her standing in the doorway, her hand outstretched, but made no comment. Draco looked at her for a moment before gesturing for her to follow him through the door.

Draco and Hermione walked up the hall in silence. Neither spoke. It was uncomfortable. Hermione was staring straight ahead and refusing to look at Draco beside her, who was trying hard to catch her eye.

Draco glanced at her. Her lips were pursed and her gaze was directed at the floor. She was different from what he remembered. He still saw her as the geeky girl from school but she had changed. Although she was looking at the floor it was clear that she was more confident. She seemed less worried and anxious than she used to. Her hair was longer and she was more curvy but in a good way. She had curves in all the right places.

Draco decided to try and break the taut tension.

"Well, this was unexpected!." Hermione glared at him but didn't reply.

Again, they lapsed into an uneasy silence. He could think of nothing to say but he wanted to say something. He didn't think that what his father was doing was right but he did… Draco appreciated what Hermione was doing for his family. He wanted to make her as comfortable as possible in the circumstances.

Hermione started to slow down, she was lagging behind him.

"Admiring the view?"

"What?" Asked Hermione, confused.

"You're looking at my arse, aren't you? "

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked, tetchily. Draco smirked, this was going to be fun.

"It's rather spectacular, isn't it?" He turned away from her and began to walk again. He had reached the beginning of the stairs when Hermione answered.

"I wasn't even looking at it! Besides it really isn't all that special anyway."

Draco spun round to face her again.

"So you were looking?" He asked, his face was lit by a huge smirk. Without waiting for an answer he headed up the stairs.

Hermione was left speechless. She had just been outsmarted by Malfoy, Draco Freaking Malfoy! With a huff she followed him up the stairs. As she trailed behind him her eyes couldn't help but be drawn to Draco's trousers and to how snugly they fit around his masculine bottom.

She followed him up the stairs and then down another corridor.

"This is the East Wing. It's for my personal use and yours now as well."

He opened the large double doors to reveal a spacious, well decorated hall. He pointed to the doors leading of the hall.

"These lead to the library, pool, kitchen, informal dining room, mini Quidditch pitch and those patio doors at the end lead to the grounds. It's 18 acres so enough room for nice long walks. There's a fountain out there too."

Hermione's eyes widened.

"You have a library?" Draco chuckled.

"Don't laugh at me, Malfoy!" Warned Hermione.

"I'm not. It's just most Magical people would be pleased at the Quidditch pitch, the sprawling grounds or even the pool but you get excited over a room full of books."

Hermione huffed and Draco struggled to keep his laughter in. In an attempt to keep a straight face he pointed to the end of the hall.

"The door on left lads to my room, the other door is yours." He held the door open for her.

Hermione stepped into the room and her mouth fell open. The room was painted a light purple and a white four poster dominated the middle of the room. A white bookcase stood in one corner with a selection of squashy armchairs grouped round it. A desk lay in front of the huge windows. On top of the desk was stationery. Quills, ink, parchment and envelopes. Three doors filled the wall. One they had just came through. As for the others, she had no idea what lay behind.

She went to they one on the left and pulled it open. It led to the most exquisite bathroom the young witch had ever seen in her life. It was twice the size of Hermione's bedroom at home. A large bath, the size of a small pool, was sunk into the floor. A long row of shiny taps lay along one side. A huge steam shower filled another corner. A small table was overflowing with shampoos, bubble baths and shower gels. The room was beautiful.

Hermione darted out of the bathroom and ran straight for the other door. It opened to reveal a dressing room. A dressing room, that was larger than most of her flat. There was clothes hung all around in separate rows. There were ball gowns, evening gowns, formal outfits, day dresses, skirts, shirts, tops and trousers. One wall had shelves all along its width. These held accessories. Shoes, bags, hats and the most expensive jewellery she had ever seen. There was a couch with a coffee table in front of it. On the table was a selection of snacks and juices. In the corner was a dresser that was filled with perfume, make up and special magical remedies.

_Master Zimmerman- Get smooth, silky, shiny hair in five simple steps!_

_Lady Espinoza- Become a sexy Spanish Sorceress with smooth skin like me!_

_Madame Jaquez- Tempt them with your eyelashes. The bigger the better!_

She had never been a girly girl and she had never felt like she was missing out on anything until now. She wasn't really one for makeovers and she didn't know the first thing about fashion, but looking at the room she felt that maybe she hadn't given it a fair chance.

Draco was amused. Hermione was darting up and down through the room like she'd never seen an en suite before. Draco watched as she squealed over the furniture and the clothes. It was nice to see someone happy in his house for once. It'd been a long time since that'd happened.

"I hate to interrupt but I think-."

Hermione froze. She had forgotten he was there. A blush rose to her cheeks, she'd just made a complete fool of herself in front of Malfoy. With a lack of anything better to say, she said.

"Nice clothes." Draco raise his eyebrows, bemused.

"Shame they won't fit me though." Without lowering his eyebrows Draco informed her.

"They will. They're charmed to fit perfectly to anyone that puts them on."

"Oh." They looked at each other. Hermione's cheeks flooded with colour and she glanced down at her feet.

"Well, as I was saying, I think you should write to your friends, let them know you're ok."

"Yeah. I probably should. What should I say?"

"Tell them you've decided to go on holiday. That way, when we go public, we can say we met on holiday and spent a whole week just getting to know each other. We'll say that we just connected while away so that we don't look completely crazy."

"That makes sense."

"Yeah. Well, why don't you write the letter, get showered changed and then meet me in the kitchen in half an hour. We'll have lunch and get to know each other."

Hermione hesitated. Draco sighed.

"Listen, I know you don't want to spend time with me but you're here now, we might as well just get along as best we can. Besides, we're going to have to fool the whole Wizarding World and make them believe we are in love. It couldn't hurt to know at least a little about each other."

She couldn't argue with that so she just nodded. He left and she was alone.

It felt weird to her being nice or at least pleasant to Malfoy. She had spent years of her life hating him and she still did, but at least he seemed to be trying to be civil about it. She knew that he probably hated her just as much as she hated him, but, light teasing aside, he had behaved extremely politely towards her. For that she was grateful.

Hermione sat at the writing desk with a blank piece of parchment in front of her. For the first time she was having trouble writing to Ginny. She lifted her quill and held it over the page. She didn't know what to write. She hated lying, especially to her best friends. With a sigh she started to write.

_Dear Ginny and Harry,_

_Sorry! I don't know how mad you guys are at me but I am so so sorry. I know you guys must have been worried sick. I still can't quite believe I just took off like that. I guess you guys are probably wondering where I am. Well, after I left your place, I got to work and while I was there I just realised that I haven't been on holiday for what? Four years? I just thought that after everything with Ron, now would be the perfect time. I can't stress how sorry I am that I just left without telling you guys. Can you forgive me?_

_Hermione_

After reading it over one more time before sealing it in an envelope. She sat it on top of the desk.

Having showered quickly she spent the remaining fifteen minutes looking at clothes. They all had elaborate labels with unpronounceable names delicately stitched on. Hermione was lost. She had never felt fully comfortable in the posh department stores she had sometimes visited with Ginny and this dressing room was like an extra posh and extra chic version. Hermione searched the racks for something to wear. What do you wear to lunch in the Malfoy household?

Hermione sighed, she was going to have to get used to this kind of lavish extravagance. After all, in a very short period of time, she was going to be a Malfoy.

Eventually, she choose a light yellow summer dress that reached to her knees, combining it with a short ,white cardigan and a pair of sandals. She left her hair down and allowed it to flow over her shoulders. She was ready to make her way down the hall to the kitchen.

Draco was already there. He was seated at the small table in the corner of the room. There was a plate in front of him and one in front of the empty seat opposite. Hermione took her seat and began to eat.

The wizard was surprised. Hermione always managed to astonish him. Some times she could seem so plain and others she could be so…

She had managed to stun everybody at the Yule Ball when she turned up on the arm of Victor Krum looking more beautiful than anyone else in the hall. It was unanimously agreed that Hermione was the belle of the ball. Even he, the Mudblood Hater, couldn't take his eyes of her.

He watched as she ate quickly. When she finished she looked up too quickly and caught him staring at her.

"What?" Hermione asked, suspiciously. "Do I have food on my face?"

"No. Nothing's there." Hermione narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

"Nissa, come clear the plates." Draco called.

The small house entered the room and unobtrusively cleared the plates.

"Thank you, Nissa."

The house elf looked startled at Hermione's kind words and answered only by giving a slight bow. After Nissa had left Hermione rounded on Draco.

"What was that all about, Malfoy? Ordering that poor house elf about like a slave!"

"Oh, I didn't realise you wanted you own, personal house elf." He replied, feigning innocence.

"You're a git, Malfoy." Said Hermione coldly. She stood up and headed for the door.

"Hey, don't go. I didn't mean it." She stopped, turning to face him. When Draco didn't continue she cleared her throat,

"And I'll get my Father to organise pay for her."

Hermione smiled happily and took her seat. She reached into the dress's pocket and pulled out the letter. She handed it to Draco.

"It's for Ginny and Harry."

"I'll send it away as soon as we're done here."

They both fell silent. Draco fell under the impression that Hermione was waiting for something.

"So shall we get on with the getting to know each other bit?" Draco asked.

"You still haven't apologised to me, or Nissa."

"I don't apologize."

"Come on, say you're sorry." Draco shook his head.

"I don't say… that word."

"Seriously? You never apologize?" She asked, incredulously.

"Nope. Never. Now you learned something about me so I'll ask all of my questions now."

"Excuse me! You get a question, then I get a question. We'll take turns."

"No. I'll ask all of my questions then you can ask some of yours."

"No! That's not fair!"

"Ah, you just want to spend more time with me. Don't you?"

"What? No."

"Yes, you do. You're just lengthening our time together by having this argument." Draco gasped and acted deadly serious.

"Hermione, I never realised you felt this way."

"Auggh!" Hermione groaned. "Fine. Fine! Whatever. Ask me your questions."

"What did you do after the War?"

Hermione didn't take long to answer. It was exactly what she had expected.

"I went back to school took my N.E.W.T.s. Went into Healer training and passed, best in the class, of course. Got promoted quicker than any other Healer in history and ended up Head of a Ward. That's where I am now."

"Who would you say you are closest to?"

This question did surprise Hermione. It wasn't what she had thought he'd ask. She frowned at Draco. He was leaning forward and his grey eyes were searching her face. He actually looked interested in what she had to say. It threw her for a moment, seeing Draco look so… human. She'd never really imagined him as a real person with real emotions before.

It took her a moment to think of an answer. If he had asked her a week ago, straight away, her answer would have been Ron, but now that wasn't the case.

"Harry and Ginny, I suppose."

"Why Perfect Potter?" Draco asked, icily.

"Malfoy," Hermione cautioned before explaining. " He and Ginny are like my family, they are my family. They've always been there for me. I've known them for so long and been through so much with them. They mean a lot to me."

"They mean so much to you that you would actually marry me to get them a baby?" Draco asked, incredulously. There were people he cared about but he wouldn't do something like that for nothing. He guessed that was what selflessness was, he'd never really seen it before.

"Yeah. Harry is the brother I never had and Ginny is the sister I never had. I love them, of course I'd do it."

"There are people I care about but I would never put myself on the line for them like that."

Hermione looked at him pityingly.

"You don't understand, Malfoy. I've watched as time and time again they've failed to get what they want. A baby. They got married two year ago and they've been in love for so much longer than that. They just want a family. It's all they want and they can't get it. Every month I've watched as Ginny gets excited and hopeful and every month I've watched as all her hopes are dashed and her and Harry are disappointed yet again. It's not _how can I do it_, it's how could I _not_ do it?"

Draco looked into Hermione's earnest face and nodded.

"Okay. It is nice what you are doing for them."

She didn't reply so he decided to ask the next question.

"How was your love life?"

"Excuse me?" Was the outraged answer.

"Well, if we're getting married I'm going to have to know your previous beaus so I can watch out for them. Act jealous like a normal husband."

"No, I'm not answering that!"

"Why? Are you embarrassed?"

Draco surveyed her for a moment then frowned.

"You have had se-"

"Malfoy, for gods sake! Of course I have. What sort of question is that anyway?"

"An interesting one." Hermione huffed and glared over the table at him.

"Come on, tell me all the details of your love life."

Hermione glowered before answering,

"There isn't much to tell." Draco only raised his eyebrow enquiringly. Hermione sighed but continued.

"Well, there was Krum. We wrote to each other for a while, he wanted us to be official but I wasn't willing to go out with someone that lived on the other side of the world. Then there was McLaggen but he doesn't really count. Then me and Ron got together after the war. We've been on and off since. I've had few relationships during the off periods between me and Ron but nothing too serious. And well that's it…" She trailed off.

Hermione felt immensely awkward. She couldn't believe she had just revealed to Draco Malfoy how pathetic her love life had really been. Luckily for her it didn't take long for him to ask another question.

"What about your parents?" Hermione drew a sharp breath.

"They're dead."

"Oh, I didn't mean to pry. Or to get you upset." She looked at Draco surprised.

"You almost sound like you mean that Malfoy."

All of a sudden his hand was under her chin. He titled it upwards so she was looking into his eyes.

"I do mean it. I'm really sorry."

His eyes were surprisingly blue. From afar the looked grey and cold but up close you could see the many shades of blue that made up his soft oceanic eyes. The seemed to have an endless depth and a clear beauty that startled Hermione.

He smiled at her and let go of her face. He sat back down on his chair and, very gently, asked another question.

"Was it because of the war?"

Hermione shook her head.

"My mum got sick, about two years after the war. She died about five or six months after being diagnosed. It was cancer."

"And your dad?"

She lifted her head and smiled sadly at Draco. Her eyes were shining with tears.

"He died of a broken heart."

He looked at her, shocked. This was very unlike the Hermione Granger he knew. The Granger he knew didn't believe in things unless there was solid proof. She dealt with logic and facts not faith and assumptions.

"A broken heart?" He asked dubiously but not unkindly.

"Yeah. It was their first wedding anniversary since my mums death. He just sat own in his armchair, fell asleep and never woke up. He just stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating. There wasn't a reason he just died. It was their wedding anniversary, do you really think it was a coincidence?"

A tear spilled from her eye and began to fall down her face Hermione lowered her head and looked at the floor.

"You can ask me questions now, if you want." Draco felt bad about his prying and wanted to do something to stop her tears. Letting her question him was the only thing he could think of.

"What did you do after the war?" Hermione decided to just repeat the questions he had asked her.

"I went to Azkaban for a year. My mother managed to convince them that I only did what I did because I was forced. For the first two years I wasn't allowed a wand but I stayed out of trouble so I got mines back. I've spent my time drinking and fooling around since then."

"Who would you say you are closest to in the world?"

Without a moments hesitation Draco answered.

"My mother."

"Your mother?" Hermione asked.

Draco nodded.

"Yes. My mother, why?" He looked at her face, unashamedly.

"No reason, just surprised, that's all. What about your love life?"

"I went out with Pansy for a while."

"You've only had one girlfriend?"

Draco nodded.

"Yes."

Hermione suddenly wasn't so embarrassed about her short list of boyfriends.

"So you've only been with one girl."

Draco grinned.

"Of course not! I've been with tons of girls, I just don't have relationships with those girls. I prefer it no strings attached, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I understand." They looked at each other, she frowned.

"Why did you hate muggle borns?"

"I never really did." Hermione glared at Draco. She clearly didn't believe him.

"Oooh, really! Well, you certainly acted like you hated them."

His mouth fell open.

"Hermione, please try to understand."

"Understand? You want me to understand? You were a death eater, Malfoy. You've probably killed countless people just because of their birth. Just because of something they couldn't change. How am I supposed to understand that?"

"Every single day when I was growing up my father would tell me _-Hate the muggle-borns, hate them. They ruined everything. The Dark Lord will help us.-_ What was I supposed to think?"

Hermione fell silent.

"I was told that every single blood day. I was raised to believe that the Dark Lord was good and that people like you, were evil. You learn from your parents, that's what I was taught. I'm not trying to make excuses, but by the time I was old enough to make my own decisions about things I was already too far in. The time I was beginning to realise how warped my father's morals were I was already a Death Eater. I couldn't back out."

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"So, you're trying to say that you're good now."

"God, no!" Draco looked horrified at the very idea of being good.

"I like to drink, I like woman and I like living the good life. I'm a womanizer, I don't care about other people. I won't do a good thing unless there is something in it for me." He paused for a moment and seemed to think it over. "No, I'm definitely not good."

Draco frowned and lost his light demeanour.

"I'm just not evil. I'm not the twisted, prejudiced Death Eater you think I am."

Hermione nodded. She didn't know why but for whatever reason she trusted him.

"Okay. Well, I think that's enough getting to know each other for one day."

Hermione scraped back her chair and stood up.

"Ummm. I guess, I'll see you later, Malfoy." She grimaced at the awkwardness of the goodbye.

"Wait a minute!"

Hermione turned back to him.

"I think, seeing that we're engaged, we should call each other by our first names." He stopped speaking for a moment and took a deep breathe. He held out his hand. "Hermione."

Hermione glanced down at his outstretched hand before looking back up at his face. Tentatively, she placed it in his.

"Draco." She gave a small curt nod.

They shook hands.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN- I am so sorry about how long it has taken me to update. I beg your forgiveness but I have just been so insanely busy lately that I had no time to spend on fan fiction. My exams start in May so it'll probably be a while before I can update again as I have to devote most of my free time to studying. Sorry! Oh, and cross your fingers for me in May, I am so nervous!**

**I'd like to say a huge thank you to 4SnowWolf. She is a brilliant beta and has such good advice. Thanks!**

**I'd also like to say thanks to LoveToLaugh561 and Juicy27 who gave me lovely reviews thank you! I also want to say thanks to Vanessa who although technically didn't give me a review she obviously spent time reading my story, so thanks. And no, my story isn't finished, hopefully, you'll be pleased to know.**

**As always, I ask for any and all reviews. They really all do encourage and help me as a writer. They really do make my day sometimes, so please, review review review!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

The next morning Hermione woke to find small, tawny owl hooting impatiently outside her window. Hermione jumped out off bed and quickly unlatched the window. The small owl hopped right in and rather haughtily stuck out its leg. Hermione smiled.

"Valmai!" She cooed, smiling at the tiny creature. The owl's only response was puffing out its chest and sticking its feathered chin in the air. Hermione reached out and untied the letter.

_Hermione,_

_Where are you? Where have you been? You do realize that you left from work and just never came home, do you know how worrying that was? Me and Harry were freaking out! You better have a brilliant, and I mean fantastically tantalisingly overwhelming brilliant, excuse for this! _

_You are ok though, aren't you? Come home soon, I want to make sure you're okay. I'm worried about you._

_Love Ginny x x x_

_ And Harry_

_PS, Ron seems to be missing you, a lot._

She felt reassured by the letter. Sometimes Hermione felt like she didn't really fit in anywhere. Especially, after she dumped Ron, she felt like she was nobody's number one. Harry and Ginny had each other, after all, and Ron obviously didn't love her as much as he said. After reading the letter Hermione knew that Harry and Ginny really did love her, even if they didn't love her as much as they loved one another_. _

She scribbled a soothing reply and tied it to the tiny owl's leg. The animal hooted once dutifully and flew out off the open window. A hurried shower and getting dressed without delay followed. She had somewhere she wanted to be.

At first glance the library appeared empty. She opened and closed the door without a sound and had crept halfway across the room when she noticed a blonde headed person reading in the leather armchair next to the desk in the corner.

Draco didn't notice Hermione until she screeched out loud.

"No need to scream, I'm hardly that sexy." He paused for a moment and frowned. "Oh, wait, I am." A Slytherin worthy grin was flashed at the witch before him.

"Mal- Draco, do you have to be this annoying?" She gazed at him expectantly, waiting for his comeback, but then realised he was trying to hide a book under the desk.

"Accio!" Hermione brandished her wand and in an instant the book was in her hands. She turned it over an read the front cover.

"Healers Guide to Healing? Why are you reading this?" She asked but Draco merely shrugged.

"Do you want to be a Healer?" She enquired, but only getting another shrug instead of an answer. Hermione burst out laughing.

"What? What is so funny?" Draco demanded, angrily.

"Nothing." She answered, coyly. "It's just - you do realise you have to be smart to be healer?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Well, Draco, you really aren't that smart."

"I am smart!"

"Sure you are. You tried _so _hard at school, I mean, in between terrorising all the muggle borns you had tons of time to study." Was the sarcastic reply.

"Hermione, the only person in our year who ever got better marks than me was you, so yeah, I'd say I'm pretty smart."

"You are?" The young witch didn't even bother trying to hide her surprise and scepticism.

Draco suddenly leap to his feet and pointed a quivering finger at her.

"You sound just like my father! He never thought Icould do anything well. I was just one disappointment after another." He yelled.

Hermione took a step back surprised by the venom and hurt in his voice. Sitting back down at the desk he lay his head on the table top. She floundered for a moment at the edge of the room, unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry." Laying a hand on his forearm she gave it a gentle squeeze. "Why don't you go into Healer training?"

Draco lifted his head up and sighed.

"No honourable Malfoy man ever gets a real job. My father would find it shameful." He gave a low chuckle but it was more menacing than joyful.

"What do you mean? Your dad must have a highly paid job."

"He doesn't. All our money comes from dodgy deals and other unscrupulous practices. He used to have a job, he was Governor of Hogwarts, but it was a job of convenience. It gave him more power so …"

Hermione didn't know what to say. She stood next to her former school mate in silence for a few minutes before going to the other side of the library, starting to browse the shelves in silence. As she flicked through the many books she couldn't help but watch Draco read his book. Every time she dragged her eyes away she could feel them being drawn right back. Draco - he intrigued her. There was a lot more to him than she had been aware of before. She realised that a lot of him was still closed off, still hidden from her and from the world. He was the worlds hardest puzzle and the most alluring and complicated mystery the smart witch had ever come across. As she furtively surveyed him over her chosen book she felt a familiar tingle run down her spine. She had always loved a mystery.

Suddenly, a loud clanging bell rang out over the large, airy room. Draco, again, laid his head on the table and groaned.

"Draco, what's wrong? What's that?"

"Lunch bell." His voice was muffled by the arms cushioning his head.

"Why is that so bad?" Hermione asked, moving across the room to stand next to him.

"My mother only rings the bell, if my father is having lunch with us. What joy!"

He gestured for her to leave the room with him and together they headed toward the dining room.

"Draco?"

"Yes, sweet cheeks?" He laughed as he caught Hermione's eye.

"Do not call me that, ever." She shuddered. He chortled and she noticed that when he was happy his whole face lit up. When he was smiling Draco was actually rather handsome.

"Sorry. What were your going to say, darling?"

Ignoring his endearment she continued.

"I don't get why you want to be Healer. I mean, it's good that you want to be one. But… It's just you're living in the lap of luxury, why do you want to get a job?"

It took Draco a while to answer and at first Hermione didn't think he was going to reply. Eventually, though, he turned to look at her.

"I've done some - not so good things over the years. I've done terrible things actually. But I kind of feel that, if I help or cure people then maybe some of the bad things I've done will be cancelled by the good."

He looked down at his feet before continuing.

"I know it's silly but . . ."

"I think it's nice." Hermione interrupted.

"Really?" Draco was still looking at the floor and his voice sounded weird, even to his own ears. It seemed raw or broken. She reached out and gently clasped his hand, waiting until he looked up at her before giving him a small smile.

"Really?" He returned hers with a small smile of his own but very quickly began to feel uncomfortable. They realised how close to each other they were standing at the same time. Both jumped back as though a jolt of electricity had just coursed through their bodies. Draco hurriedly opened the door in front of them.

"After you, princess." Draco said with a lazy grin. Hermione glared at him and flounced through the door.

Lunch was the most tense thing Hermione had ever had to sit through. Nobody really spoke. Mrs. Malfoy tried hard at the start to make small talk but even she fell silent eventually. Hermione picked up on the glares Draco sent at his father, when his father wasn't sending disappointed frowns at his only son. She also noticed the worried glances his mother alternated between her husband and son. The meal's only saving grace was that the food was delicious, but even so, she would have rather eaten a bucket of instant mash than sit through the intense friction that was lunch.

After the meal was finished Hermione prayed she was going to be excused form the table but it wasn't so.

"Miss. Granger, I was thinking we could announce your and Draco's engagement in tomorrows' Daily Prophet. What do you think?" Narcissa Malfoy asked.

"No! No yet." Hermione was nearly screaming across the table.

"You'll do what you're told. This engagement is going public." Lucius growled across the table.

"No! At least not tomorrow, I haven't told my friends yet. They'll kill me if everyone, finds out before them."

Narcissa smiled kindly at her and laid a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"Hear her out, Lucius." She cautioned her husband before turning to her future daughter in law with an expectant look on her face. Hermione quickly realised she was expected to speak.

"I think it will make more sense, if we wait. My friends are going to have a hard enough time believing I like Draco and I don't think it's sensible to act like we fell in love in one or two days. That just wouldn't happen to me. If we leave it a couple of weeks, it will be a lot more believable."

"I agree with Hermione."

Draco stuck his hand in the air as though there was going to be a vote. His unofficial fiancé turned to give him a thankful smile. He gave her a bold wink and mouthed the words - your welcome, doll face. It took all of her resolve not to scream at him right there and then.

"Well, that's settled. We'll give you a couple of weeks." Narcissa smiled at the young witch that she was becoming strangely fond of.

"No, it'll be announced tomorrow." Lucius was the only one that wasn't happy with the new arrangement.

"Lucius, you asked her to join our family and now, for better or worse, she is part of the family. So you're going to treat her like that."

The young Malfoy was taken aback. The last time he'd seen his mother this angry was when she found out Lucius had signed him up for becoming a Death Eater.

"Fine, you've got a week." Lucius ordered, sulkily. He glared at the three around the table before leaving the room without a word.

As he left, Draco caught Hermione's eye and made a face at his father's back. She burst out laughing like she hadn't in a long time and Draco joined in soon after. Neither was sure what was so funny but they couldn't stop. They'd both been seized by fits of hysteria.

Narcissa was rather bemused by the behaviour of her son and his fiancé. But even she couldn't help but smile. As she watched the two young adults laugh over something that was unique to them she realised there was hope for her son after all. The young witch might just be what she'd been praying for all along. Her smile widened, maybe Draco was going to be alright. His mother was was suddenly sure of it, with Hermione's help he _was_ going to be okay.

The next few days passed without any more drama. Hermione spent most of her time in the library but she quickly realised she and Draco had more in common than she'd ever thought. The books he recommended to her she loved and when she introduced him to the world of film with a viewing of Schindler's List he seemed to really enjoy it. They began swapping lists of favourite books in most genres and Hermione carefully selected her favourite films for them to watch together. They bonded over their love of certain books and films but neither would admit to being friends. The young witch still insisted that she found him too arrogant and irritating to be friends but although she protested she couldn't ignore that she was beginning to quite like it when he called her baby doll, honey or love. And Draco was still insisting that Hermione possessed no allure or glamour, but when they watched films in a darkened room he found his eyes watching her more than the screen.

Four days after the awkward lunch they could be found in the pool near their rooms. Hermione was lying on top of the diving board. She was determined not to go into the pool as the bikini she found in her room was smaller and more revealing than even any underwear she'd dared to wear. She wasn't entirely comfortable in skimpy outfits so she just lay very still on top of the diving board day dreaming.

Draco was in the pool. Swimming lengths fast and furiously. The pool was where he did his thinking. If anything was on his mind or was annoying him, he would swim lengths until whatever was annoying him had been driven out of his mind. Today, he wasn't having much luck especially as the person his thoughts centred on was laying mere feet away from him.

Hermione was just beginning to get comfortable when she felt the board starting to shake. She opened one of her eyes just in time to see Draco push down on the bottom of the board so that she flipped up and fell down into the water. She knew that she had to get her own back or she'd never hear the end of it, so she forced herself to sink to the bottom and began to flail her arms and legs about. Hopefully, Darco would think she was drowning. Within seconds Hermione felt strong arms snake round her back and behind her legs. Draco quickly wrenched her out of the water and swiftly swam to an area of the pool were he could easily stand.

"Hermione! Hermione, are you ok?" She started laughing and Draco's concerned gaze gave way to an enraged glare.

"Hermione, I thought you were going to die!"

"Who's the one who tried to drown me?"

"If I'd been trying to drown you I'd have done this."

Draco secured his hold around her and bent down so that she was under water. Hermione tried to wriggle out off his hold but she couldn't manage it, he was too strong. After a couple of seconds he stood back up so that she could breathe.

"Enjoy that, pumpkin?"

"Aaarrghh!" Hermione splashed him in the face, he only laughed at her reaction.

Suddenly, they both fell silent. Her cheeks flooded with colour as she realised how Draco was holding her. Her arms were hooked round his neck. His arms were around her back and under her legs. Their faces were kissing distance apart.

She jumped out of his arms and took a step back. Now that he was standing in shallower water she could see his toned stomach and outlined abs, it really wasn't helping her blushed cheeks.

As Hermione looked at Draco he moved his arms, as if he was going to start swimming again when she saw a flash of black. She reached out and grabbed his left arm. She turned his arm around and was faced with a small black mark. The Dark Mark.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought it was a bug."

"It's alright."

Hermione looked into Draco's face and hesitantly lifted up her hand and placed it over the mark. She could feel it under her hand. It wasn't like a normal tattoo, it was raised from the skin. After tracing the shape of the mark with her finger she looked back it his face.

"How did he give you it?"

"Voldemort? It's not like a normal tattoo and it isn't created like a normal tattoo. "

"How?"

Draco drew his gaze away from Hermione.

"Sorry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"He ,umm, he held his wand against my arm and, basically, he burned with my own bad memories."

"What?"

"All your bad memories, all the times you felt lonely or jealous or ashamed of yourself are brought back to you. He makes you think about them and then they're burnt on your arm. Whenever you see it, that's all you think about." Draco looked back at Hermione. His eyes were glistening.

"Can't it be removed?" He shook his head.

"No, I've tried everything. I even went to get that Muggle laser treatment thing. That muggle was so confused. You should of seen his face. He had no idea what was going on!"

She could see that he was trying to make it into a joke but she could tell it meant so much more to him.

"It's just a sign of what a bad person I am. I can't escape from what I've done, from what I used to be. I guess it's just weird having something that tells the world that I'm evil."

Hermione slid her hand done from his tattoo and placed it inside his hand. She stepped closer.

"You're not a bad person. At least, your not any more."

Draco looked at her earnest face and smiled. She didn't know how much her words had really meant to him. He reached out and gently tucked a lock of her hair behind her hair. His hand grazed her cheek.

"Draco, have you seen my-" Narcissa walked through the patio doors into the pool area but stopped abruptly when she saw the scene in front of her. She smiled and quickly turned around.

"Sorry." She called behind her as she left, she didn't want anything to get in the what of what she'd just saw.

But the moment was lost. The young wizard cleared his throat and swam to the edge of the pool. He climbed out and wrapped a towel around his shoulders. He headed for the doors leading into the house but just before he got there he paused and turned back round.

"Thanks, Hermione. I really appreciate it." Hermione smiled.

"Your welcome." Draco nodded and continued walking. This time, without turning round, he called over his shoulder.

"I owe you one, gorgeous."


	7. Chapter 7

**AN- First of all I would like to apologize for how long it took me to get this updated. I had me exams in May and June and afterward I was really busy with family stuff. I hope you can all forgive me. **

**Second, with everything that has been going on I have not had time to write in about four months so I might be a little out of practice.**

**And as always, I ask you to please review. Al reviews are appreciated. Big thank you to StevieOwnsYourHeart and Goldfish101 and of course my wonderful beta 4SnowWolf**

The week Lucius had ungraciously allowed for "bonding" passed quickly. Draco and Hermione spent their time alternating between avoiding each other and being..., for lack of a better word, friends. Sometimes, they would spend hours together, talking, debating and sometimes, even managing to have a laugh.

But then they each would remember with a start that they were supposed to hate the other. They would retreat to their separate library corners and ignore each other for as long as possible, until they somehow got drawn back in.

By the end of the week Hermione and Draco weren't quite friends. They'd have to be crazy to think that, but they did have a certain familiarity with each other that was oddly comforting. Friends wasn't the right word but they were perhaps acquaintances or, at the very least, equals.

"Hermione, are you ready?" Draco paused for a moment outside Hermione's door before making his way down the stairs. "We have to go, now."

Hermione groaned and checked herself in the mirror. She couldn't believe that in less than an hour she'd have to tell her friends that she'd be marrying their mortal enemy, the person they'd hated for years. It was one of the most difficult things Hermione had ever faced and she'd never been more terrified, no mean feat considering all the situations Hermione had been involved in.

Hermione steadied herself with one last deep breath and made her way downstairs to meet her fiancé.

Draco was waiting in the spacious vestibule. He was wearing a simple outfit of a smart grey-silvery shirt with black jeans. Not wantingto appear as if he was trying too hard but, at the same time, he was eager to impress. The young man understood how much the evening meant to Hermione and he wanted it to go well. He wanted things to be easier for her.

"You look nice."

Lifting his head he saw an attractive brunette smiling at him from just a few steps away. The girl's dark hair had been piled loosely into a bun on the top of her head, a bun that managed to look messy and ultra elegant at the same time. Her eyes looked large and intense, doe like. She was wearing tight white jeans and a ruffly red blouse.

But without a doubt, the best thing was her smile.

Draco had never seen Hermione look so comfortable in her own skin. Of course, she had looked beautiful, ravishing and stunning at the Yule Ball but even then she'd looked sort of uncomfortable. Now this was really something special.

He grinned back at the young witch.

"You look... beautiful."

Hermione grinned sheepishly for a second before lowering her gaze asking, "Really?"

"Yeah, you look really, really good."

"Thanks, I guess."

All of a sudden, she seemed to find it hard to hold his gaze. A silence descended over the couple and the air seemed to fill with awkwardness. Draco cleared his throat.

"So, um, do Harry and Ginny know I'm coming?"

A frown appeared on her face, she was not looking forward to this.

"I told them to set the table for four. They know I'm bringing a plus one but I left out the fact that it was you."

"Is that wise?" His face paled considerably and Hermione couldn't help but grin.

"Scared, Draco?"

"Yes, actually. That Weasley chick is not someone I want to be messing with."

"First of all, that chick has a name, Ginny. Second, she's a Potter now. Third," Pausing a smug smirk appeared on her face. "You're scared of Ginny?"

"She once promised, very aggressively, that if I ever came near her again she would cut off my... family jewels and I have to say I'm rather attached to mine."

Hermione laughed, "That certainly sounds like Ginny." Looking up she caught the worried look on Draco's face, and began to laugh harder.

"Okay, okay! You can stop laughing now."

Groaning he grabbed her wrist and pulled her shaking body against his. She went stiff feeling his warm figure so close. Looking into his guarded eyes a questioning look appeared on her features.

"Potter's place... now?"

She nodded slowly and closed her eyes, when she next opened them they were standing on a deserted street in front of a homely cottage with Draco still too close for comfort.

Taking a step away from the wizard Hermione smiled as she gazed upon the quaint home she had visited many times.

A small path led up the middle of a well tended garden to a blazing red door. After all these years Harry was still loyal to his Gryffindor colors. Ivy grew up the walls and a small wooden arch covered the gate. It was a completely normal family home, perhaps even sort of clichéd, but she understood that what her best friend had always wanted was to be normal. Harry and Ginny had managed to build a life together that resembled any other normal married couple's. All that the home needed was some kids to fill up the empty rooms, Ginny had waited long enough.

"This the place?" Draco's voice snapped Hermione out of her thoughts.

"What? Oh, yeah, this is it." Gently pulling her hand out of his and walked up the path. She stopped when she reached he door and raised up her hand to knock.

"Maybe you shouldn't come in now. I think I should prepare them first. Or should we just get it over with? Maybe we should just go home. I can't-"

"Hermione," Draco grabbed Hermione's shoulders and pulled her around to face him, " Calm down, take a breath. It'll be aright."

He waited a moment until he was sure she wasn't about to faint.

"I'll wait out here, you call me in when you're ready."

Not waiting for an answer he pushed the door open and propelled her forwards before she could say anything else.

"Hermione, is that you?" Ginny stepped into the hall and smiled when she saw her friend.

In a second the two women were in each other arms.

"God, Hermione, I've missed you. Where have you been?"

"Um, I'll tell you later. How are you?" She gestured toward the other girls flat stomach. "Any luck?"

Her closing her eyes was accompanied by a shaking of her head. Her face was screwed up in grief. But when she opened her eyes again a smile was on her face, she was covering up. Ginny held up her hand and crossed her fingers over.

"Next month." Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Then she called, "Harry, Hermione's here!"

There was a moment's silence while they waited for an answer.

"Harry, get your butt down here right now or I'll will come up there and stick my wand- oh, there you are." Her voice flowed easily from her aggressive annoyance to friendly tones.

"Ah, Ginny, as patient as usual." An amused smile colored Harry's face. "Hermione!"

Pulling her into a hug he pecked her on the cheek.

"So, where is this new mystery man of yours?" His wife asked, curious.

"He's outside."

With a frown she was asked, "You did tell him I don't bite, didn't you?"

"Why would she do that? He deserves to be warned about your biting." Harry said, teasing his wife.

"That was so funny I forgot to laugh." She quipped sarcastically before reverting to a serious voice. "Why is he outside, Hermione?"

"Well, I don't think he is someone you're going to necessarily approve of and I just wanted the chance to remind you to keep an open mind."

"Who is it?" Ginny's eyes had narrowed dangerously.

"You'll find out, just promise me you won't go crazy."

"Who is it?" she demanded again.

"It's OK, we promise." Harry poked the his wife's shoulder and she nodded though she didn't look happy about it.

Hermione cleared her throat and raised her voice. "You can come in now."

As Draco opened the door and stepped into the hall shocked silence fell over the small crowd gathered. Hermione looked round at everyone's face, her fiancé looked anxious and kind of queasy, his pale skin had an unnatural green glow. Harry just looked plain confused, like the way he used to look in Potions class, completely befuddled. Ginny's face was scary. It was beyond anger or rage, it was wrath. Her face was the same colour as her flaming hair and before Hermione knew what was happening, she had pulled out her wand and rounded on Draco.

"What did you do?" Pointing her wand right between Draco's eyes. "What the hell did you do to her?"

He shook his head, "Nothing, I swear!"

"Don't you lie to- Harry, let go!" Harry had wrapped his arms round Ginny's waist and pulled her away from the her indented victim.

"Ginny, calm down. Calm down!" She struggled for a moment longer but eventually gave up and nodded in defeat. Glowering unhappily at Draco as her husband turned to face Hermione.

"He's your plus one?" His voice was low and worried.

There was a short pause before she nodded slowly.

"He makes you happy?"

Another nod, she didn't trust her self to speak. She was sure that if she opened her mouth the whole terrible story would come tumbling out.

"Well, Draco, welcome. You'll have to excuse Ginny, she can be rather aggressive sometimes. Do you like lasagna?"

"Uh, yeah." Draco answered, confused, as his ex-enemy guided him through the hall.

"Good, cause that's what you're having for dinner. So, what have you been up to recently?"

Hermione smiled at her best friend's attempts to make pleasant small talk. She knew it had to be hard for him but he was trying, for her. She followed the two men into the cozy dining room.

It was an awkward dinner, one even to rival the lunch Hermione had eaten with the Malfoys. Harry struggled to make pleasant chit chat and Draco tried hard to be friendly but there was too much history between the two wizards for them to be comfortable with each other.

She herself was too distracted with the idea of lying to her friends to do much talking. She kept her head down and used her lasagna as an excuse not to talk.

Ginny sat opposite Draco and throughout the whole meal she never took her eyes off him. She stared at him with a disapproving glare that sent shivers through Hermione's body. She ate just enough as not to raise any questions and barely joined in the conversation.

At the end of the meal the hostess turned to Malfoy and asked, "So, when did you two meet?"

"On holiday. Hermione had just broken up with Ron and I myself had just gotten out of a bad relationship. I guess, we just sort of found solace in each other. She was so different from my last girlfriend, it was nice."

Hermione looked on in awe as husband-to-be spun a web of lies as easy as if it was true.

"So, how long have you been going out then?" The interrogation was continued.

"Nearly a month." Turning he smiled at Hermione before reaching over and clasping her hand in his. "We're really happy."

"Oh, you're happy! Isn't that just so sweet. God, Malfoy, who'd have thought you'd be that romantic. Aww, two sweet little love birds ready to fly into the sky of harmony!" Sarcasm dripped from her every word.

"Come one, Ginny. Be nice." Harry murmured into ear.

"No, I'm not going to be nice. They're acting ridiculous. They've known each other less than a month yet they're acting like they're getting married!"

Draco and Hermione turned to look each other.

"Actually, Ginny, I have something to tell you."

Ginny's face turned stark white, "No, no, no, no. Hermione, no!"

"Draco proposed. We're getting married." She lay her left hand on top of the table where her friends could see it. On her finger was a ring. A silver ring with a gleaming sapphire surrounded by diamonds, an engagement ring. From Draco Malfoy.

"You did something! I know you did. She'd never marry you. You must've done something. Leave her alone!" Breaking into heaving sobs, she wasn't angry any more she was just plain worried. She was sure the ferret had used some kind of spell to get Hermione to fall in love with him.

"I love her." Ginny's sobs stopped as she looked up at Draco.

"Ever since I met her everything has been inexplicably bright. I can't explain it, but she makes me just so happy to even be alive. When I'm with her I feel like I'm not the bad guy. I feel like I'm somebody who could do some good. I feel like I could do anything. And for some reason she loves me back. She wants to be with me and I know how lucky I am. I do. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me, she is the best thing. I'll look after her Ginny, I promise."

Hermione stared on in shock as he made his grand, romantic speech. It was a good speech. He had everything just right. It was without a doubt the most romantic thing Hermione had ever heard in her life, and it wasn't even real.

Hermione felt a hand grab her own and was pulled her to her feet. Draco was standing in front of her. His face was close. Close enough to see his light blonde eyelashes. Close enough to see the one freckle underneath his left eyes. Close enough to see the tiny flecks of blue throughout his grey eyes. Even close enough that his lips looked invitingly pink and plump.

"I love you."

And before she knew what was happening, before she had a chance to turn away Draco Malfoy was kissing her.

His lips were surprisingly soft and moist. His hand had found the small of her back and was nestled there among the folds of her clothes. His other hand was on her hair.

After a few seconds Draco pulled back and tucked an escaped curl behind her ear.

"Do you really love him?"

Hermione tore her eyes away from her fiancé's face and nodded.

"Yes, I really do."

"Are you sure you're ready? You haven't been going out very long. And this getting married suddenly is so unlike you. You usually think and rethink everything through and weigh all the pros and cons before you make a decision. Are you sure you're aren't rushing it?"

"I can't explain it but I just know. I just feel that it's the right thing to do."

Ginny surveyed Hermione in silence for a moment.

"Then I'm happy for you."

"You are?"

She nodded and got up to give her friend a hug. They burst into tears in each others arms.

"Congratulations, Hermione!" Harry called from across the table.

"Thanks." Hermione tried to call back but was muffled by Ginny's arms.

"Harry, will you be my best man?"

The two young witches let go of each other and turned round to face the two men.

"What?" Harry asked, perplexed.

"I'm just not particularly close to any my friends any more and I know how much it would mean to Hermione, if you were involved in the wedding. Will you do it, for Hermione?"

"Well, sure. I guess. Thanks."

"No problem." Harry shook hands with Draco, nervously. It wasn't something he'd ever imagined happening. But Draco had just asked him to be his best man and that wasn't exactly something he'd ever imagined either. He broke into a grin.

"Lets get some drinks, we have to celebrate!"

Later that night, when the faux couple arrived home, Hermione felt like a weight had been lifted of her shoulders. She had told Harry and Ginny and they didn't hate her. They were happy for her. She had just realised how much her friends truly cared about her.

Yet, she couldn't help but feel slightly guilty that even after she'd heard all her friends concerns she'd lied to them. She didn't love Draco, their whole engagement was a sham.

"Thanks." Hermione called to Draco as he walked down the corridor to his room.

"For what?" Draco asked, turning.

"For asking Harry to be your best man." She moved closer towards him. "And calming Ginny down. She was so weird till you did your speech."

"It wasn't a big deal."

"No, Draco, it was. You did some really nice things for me and because of you tonight was so much easier than I expected." She placed her hand on the side of his face and made him look into her eyes. "Thank you."

Hermione pulled him into a hug and at first he felt stiff and hard but he soon relaxed. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and lightly hugged her back.

"You liked that kiss, didn't you?" Draco asked into her hair.

"Excuse me?" She asked pulling back.

"The kiss. You really enjoyed it, I could tell." There was a smirk in his voice.

"I most certainly did not!"

"I bet it's the best kiss you've ever had."

"You know what? I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer."

"So, that's a yes then?"

"No, Draco. Goodnight."

Hermione headed towards her own room and Draco watched her go. Just as she reached her door he called, "So, no good night kiss then?"

As a reply Hermione held up her slender middle finger. Chuckling he headed off to bed. To a sleep full of dreams of brunettes in white jeans, girls with rude hand gestures. Women with the prettiest brown eyes and the softest pink lips.


End file.
